Pet dander, dust mites and mold spores can trigger year-round symptoms like itchy or runny eyes and nose; unlike outdoor allergens like pollen that usually only show up during certain months.
Limit indoor allergens by keeping windows and doors shut and using an air cleaner with an asthma/allergy filter certified filter, cleaning frequently and vacuuming often.
Pet Allergies
Just like humans, dogs and cats may suffer from allergies to items in their environment that cause runny noses, sneezing, or hives. Allergens such as pet saliva, sweat and dander (dead skin cells) can aggravate reactions in some animals while allergens from rabbits, gerbils or other small rodents also can trigger reactions in certain people.
These allergens spread through the air and settle on surfaces such as walls, furniture and carpets. Clothing may transport them into areas without pets – sometimes confusing symptoms with those associated with colds; but if antihistamines don’t seem to do the trick then consulting your physician is necessary.
However, you can reduce symptoms by keeping animals out of your bedroom and away from upholstered furnishings. Regular vacuuming with a high-suction vacuum and laundering bedding in hot water bath are both recommended to reduce allergen levels in the air. Plug-in air filters may also help.
Allergic proteins produced by saliva and skin glands of pets could adhere to fur and dander and then enter the air during grooming or scratching of faces, potentially triggering anything from mild sniffles and sneezing attacks to life-threatening asthma attacks. Rehoming or confining pets to certain rooms of a home aren’t always viable solutions for families that have formed strong emotional ties with them.
Mold Allergies
Mold allergies arise when your immune system becomes overreactive to various spores of various kinds of mold found in the air, and when inhaled by breathing them in, your body produces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). This produces allergic symptoms including watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing; more serious lung infections known as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis can sometimes result from these mold spores as well.
Molds are fungi that thrive in damp environments like basements and bathrooms, producing mycotoxins which are toxic to human cells. Their spores may enter your nose and throat mucus membranes causing hay fever symptoms as well as reaching your lungs to cause asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. Furthermore, in extreme cases mold spores may even produce mycotoxins which are dangerously toxic to health.
Avoiding mold spores is the key to controlling allergy symptoms. You can reduce exposure by maintaining low humidity levels in your home and basement and installing a dehumidifier; wear a face mask when working outdoors or gardening and pay attention to local mold spore counts – when they increase, limit outdoor activities accordingly and consider talking with your physician about oral medicines like BENADRYL(r), which could help alleviate some symptoms.
Dust Mite Allergies
Dust mites (Arachnida) are tiny insects (Arachnida) that thrive in warm environments and feed on dead skin cells shed by humans and animals alike. Their droppings form part of house dust, while their allergens cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals – usually manifested as itchy noses and eyes and possibly flared-up eczema patches; furthermore dust mites may aggravate asthmatic symptoms.
Your doctor may suspect a dust allergy based on symptoms and your answers to questions about your living environment, but can easily test for it using a simple blood test. A healthcare professional uses a small needle (21 gauge, or roughly the size of an earring) to draw blood from vein in your arm before sending it off to be measured for IgE antibodies against dust mite proteins – higher levels indicate an allergy.
Limiting clutter, using an air filter, removing carpeting and vacuuming regularly are effective strategies for minimizing dust mite infestation in your home. Vacuuming regularly also helps decrease dust mite allergen levels in the air. Medication such as decongestants may provide relief; decongestants work by shrinking blood vessels in the nose and sinuses which reduce congestion and swelling. If allergy symptoms still persist, consider speaking to an allergist about immunotherapy: immunotherapy involves weekly injections of increasing doses of the allergen that causes allergy symptoms, thus encouraging your immune system to become more tolerant over time and lessen its symptoms over time.
Asthma
With asthma, your body tries to defend itself from allergens by inflaming and swelling airways to block airflow – making breathing harder. Your lungs produce extra mucus to try to clear these blocked passageways but this only makes breathing harder still. Asthma symptoms can be brought on by pets, molds, dust mites, trees, weeds grasses or pollen in cold air exercise cold smoking or exposure to strong chemicals or smells.
Your severity of symptoms dictates what treatment options you require. Mild persistent asthma symptoms appear three to six times each week during both daytime and nighttime activities; moderate persistent symptoms appear daily and may limit activities; while severe persistent asthma occurs consistently between daytime and nighttime and further limits activities.
Your doctor can assist in devising ways to overcome your triggers and keep asthma under control, such as replacing carpeting with wood flooring, washing bedding and pillows in hot water weekly and using an HEPA air cleaner at home. Your provider may also suggest engaging in regular outdoor activity and taking allergy medication before leaving for work or school as well as avoiding items which exacerbate symptoms like candles burning too close together, cooking overheated foods or perfumed aerosol sprays from perfumes or household cleaners that create smoke from burning.
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